When you decide to plant an apple tree, first you should think of apple tree type, tree size, spacing, planting arrangement, and pollinator. After planting, the apple tree needs care in issues such as pruning, watering, fertilization, diseases, and pestsand weed management.

- Selection and Preparation of Site

Selection of proper place for planting the apple tree is of vital importance because after planting the tree it won’t be easy to change the place. The selection of the proper site and preparing soil should be done a season or at least one month ahead.

After selection of the site, you should consider thesize of the apple tree, if it is dwarf-sized, semi-dwarf, or larger. Based on the size of the apple tree, the place of planting will be organized. Dwarf apple trees need the least space about 75 to 100 square feet, the semi dwarf apple trees need 125 to 200 square feet, and the standard apple trees need 300 to 400 square feet space.

Thespace needed for planting apple trees may also be dependent on the strengths of rootstock, soil fertility, and climate settings. The land which is slightly sloped is the most appropriate for planting apple trees. Also, the site should not be soaked in water or covered in frost.

After choosing the appropriate space and organization of the site, you should make the soil ready for planting. The apple trees can grow in the soil which has less rock and not saturated with clay soil; although, the best soil could be the fertile sandy soil containing clay. Moreover, the soil should have the PH between 6 and 7.

To enhance the water keeping function and aeration process of the soil, you should add some materials like leaves, compost and manure.

Dig a 1m x 1m x 1m hole with no stone inside or around it. You should dig the hole and fill it up at least one month before planting. After digging the hole, the soil which is placed at the top and the sub soil shouldn’t be piled together and should be kept separately. To increase the richness of soil in low layers, first fill the pit by the top soil and end it with the sub soil. Also, it is needed to add manure and super phosphate to the soil when filling the pit. The graft union will be planted after at least one month.

- Apple Tree Planting

Dig a 60 cm x 1 meter pit in soil, put the sapling inside the pit, and cover the roots with soil. Because the soil is fertilized before, it is not needed to add fertilizers while planting since the sapling roots may get burnt. The rootstock should be kept 2 inches upper than the ground level. Pack the soil with your foot to increase the contact of soil and roots. Right after planting and without any delay you should stake the tree with a lumber or a stake. The stake should also be tied by a rope to the tree in a loose manner. Finally water the tree.